Spirit of Albion

Product Notes

The third CD from Damh the Bard. The song Spirit of Albion was written in honour of the ancient Spirit of Britain. From the Highlands of Scotland, to the Moors of the West Country, from the Fens of East Anglia, to the peaks of Snowdon, Britain has it's own spirit, regardless of the boundaries humans put on England, Scotland, Wales and Cornwall. To Damh Albion is an island to be celebrated. This is not a political song, but an anthem for the wilder places. Thought by many UK Pagans to be the true 'national anthem'. Taliesin was the Primary Chief Bard of the Island of the Mighty. Throughout history, like Merlin, there have been many Taliesin's, leading scholars to believe that it was more a title than a name. In Taliesin's poetry he tells of the Battle of the Trees, the quest by Arthur to find the cauldron of Annwn (later to be told as the quest for the Holy Grail). In this song Taliesin tells of his adventures. When I become the Moon was written by the great songwriter Eliza Gilkyson. A beautiful song about the God and Goddess of the Land. The Wheel is a love song between the old God and Goddess of Pagan lore. From the birth of the Horned God at the Winter Solstice, through their love at Beltane, and finally the offering he gives of his body (the corn) at Lughnasadh. There are many songs about the Goddess, but this song tells of the Oak and Holly Kings and their battles at the times of the Solstice. The Morrighan is the ancient Celtic Goddess of Battle. She is seen as the Raven who comes to strip the flesh from the bodies of fallen warriors, and to help lead them into the Otherworld. This song is sung by her, to us, asking why we keep sending her souls, is this world of war the world we truly want? Save Me is a song about three people, all of whom have lost hope in their lives, but they look to the Universe for help, and they find that there is always hope. Always. Oak Broom and Meadowsweet are the herbs that Gwydion the Enchanter and Math ap Mathonwy used to conjure the Goddess Blodeuwedd as a bride for the Sun God Lleu Llaw Gyffes in the story from the Fourth Branch of the Mabinogion. Her story continues in the songs Blodeuwedd, and Cloak of Feathers from Damh's 'Herne's Apprentice' album. The Sun and the Rose is a plea of love, of holding out a hand to a lover, reaching for them, searching for them, and calling in the darkness so they can find you. Domeanna is a old traditional Folk tune from Sussex in the UK. A typical 'Sailor gets the posh girl' song in the vein of the Raggle Taggle Gypsies. Isis Unveiled is the story of Isis, Osiris, and Set. The tune and lyrics for the Winter king came when standing on the granite cliffs of Cornwall's rocky shore in Boscasle. The refrain was heard in the sound of the sea waves as they struck the shore. Damh is a Bard whose spirituality is expressed through his music, storytelling and poetry. Drawing on the Bardic traditions his performances are both entertaining and educational, weaving a tapestry of myth, peace, and anthems that speak directly to the heart, but never without a good splash of humour. Damh works within that world of myth that cannot be proved; where the Faerie really do dance on Midsummer's Eve, where the trees talk, and the Hollow Hills take you into the realms of Annwn. Where the Goddess rides her horse, guiding you to magic, and the Horned God of old calls us from the shadows of the Greenwood.

The third CD from Damh the Bard. The song Spirit of Albion was written in honour of the ancient Spirit of Britain. From the Highlands of Scotland, to the Moors of the West Country, from the Fens of East Anglia, to the peaks of Snowdon, Britain has it's own spirit, regardless of the boundaries humans put on England, Scotland, Wales and Cornwall. To Damh Albion is an island to be celebrated. This is not a political song, but an anthem for the wilder places. Thought by many UK Pagans to be the true 'national anthem'. Taliesin was the Primary Chief Bard of the Island of the Mighty. Throughout history, like Merlin, there have been many Taliesin's, leading scholars to believe that it was more a title than a name. In Taliesin's poetry he tells of the Battle of the Trees, the quest by Arthur to find the cauldron of Annwn (later to be told as the quest for the Holy Grail). In this song Taliesin tells of his adventures. When I become the Moon was written by the great songwriter Eliza Gilkyson. A beautiful song about the God and Goddess of the Land. The Wheel is a love song between the old God and Goddess of Pagan lore. From the birth of the Horned God at the Winter Solstice, through their love at Beltane, and finally the offering he gives of his body (the corn) at Lughnasadh. There are many songs about the Goddess, but this song tells of the Oak and Holly Kings and their battles at the times of the Solstice. The Morrighan is the ancient Celtic Goddess of Battle. She is seen as the Raven who comes to strip the flesh from the bodies of fallen warriors, and to help lead them into the Otherworld. This song is sung by her, to us, asking why we keep sending her souls, is this world of war the world we truly want? Save Me is a song about three people, all of whom have lost hope in their lives, but they look to the Universe for help, and they find that there is always hope. Always. Oak Broom and Meadowsweet are the herbs that Gwydion the Enchanter and Math ap Mathonwy used to conjure the Goddess Blodeuwedd as a bride for the Sun God Lleu Llaw Gyffes in the story from the Fourth Branch of the Mabinogion. Her story continues in the songs Blodeuwedd, and Cloak of Feathers from Damh's 'Herne's Apprentice' album. The Sun and the Rose is a plea of love, of holding out a hand to a lover, reaching for them, searching for them, and calling in the darkness so they can find you. Domeanna is a old traditional Folk tune from Sussex in the UK. A typical 'Sailor gets the posh girl' song in the vein of the Raggle Taggle Gypsies. Isis Unveiled is the story of Isis, Osiris, and Set. The tune and lyrics for the Winter king came when standing on the granite cliffs of Cornwall's rocky shore in Boscasle. The refrain was heard in the sound of the sea waves as they struck the shore. Damh is a Bard whose spirituality is expressed through his music, storytelling and poetry. Drawing on the Bardic traditions his performances are both entertaining and educational, weaving a tapestry of myth, peace, and anthems that speak directly to the heart, but never without a good splash of humour. Damh works within that world of myth that cannot be proved; where the Faerie really do dance on Midsummer's Eve, where the trees talk, and the Hollow Hills take you into the realms of Annwn. Where the Goddess rides her horse, guiding you to magic, and the Horned God of old calls us from the shadows of the Greenwood.